“The earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.” -Ernest Hemingway

World Environment Day

by Husna Inayathullah

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and was created to inspire people around the globe to become active about the environment and learn more about ways they can help to ensure the future of our planet Earth.

The first World Environment Day in 1973, inspired by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment took place the year before, starting on June 5.

Each year the United Nations picks a theme and a host city where environmental topics can be discussed , followed by different kinds of exhibits and displays to promote environmental awareness, in many ways similar to Earth Day.

This year World Environment Day discussions were hosted by Barbados and the theme was "Raise your voice, not the sea level." Environmentalists, academics and scientists came together to bring forth new ideas to the table concerning the environment and this year the focus was on Small Island Developing States.

Even though the United Nations picks a specific host city every year, people around the world still celebrate World Environment Day in their home towns with parades, concerts, recycling initiatives, tree planting groups and all kinds of green action initiatives that are meant to promote and inspire people in every community to work towards maintaing our beautiful planet and battling pollution.

World Environment Day is not a public holiday, so you won't have a day off school, but you can celebrate it. You can bring it to the attention of your parents, teachers and classmates.

World Environment Day is all about working together to take action for the planet, so try to get everyone you know interested in and help make a difference.

Something as small as making sure people have a way to recycle in your school can make a difference. You could also try beautifying your neighbourhood by planting trees, learn about organic and local foods, or raise money for a local wildlife and conservation charity or simply learning about the effects of different products on the earth throughout this month.

The following is a poem by Harry Behn on the benefits and uses of trees.

Trees

Trees are the kindest things know,
They do no harm, they simplygrow
And spread a shade for sleepy cows,
And gather birds among their bows.

They give us fruit in leaves above,
And wood to make our houses of,
And leaves to burn on Halloween
And in the Spring new buds of green.

They are first when day's begun
To tough the beams of morning sun,
They are the last to hold the light
When evening changes into night.
And when a moon floats on the sky
They hum a drowsy lullaby
Of sleepy children long ago...

Trees are the kindest things I know.

Many programs and competitions were organised by government and private institutions.

The Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy organised an all island short film competition under the theme Soba Chalana Sithuwam to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5, 2014.

The Earth is our planet, so let's keep it clean and beautiful for generations to come!